Heartland (2017)

Heartland: Directed by Maura Anderson. With Velinda Godfrey, Amelia Harris, Todd Waring, Cooper Rowe. A young Oklahoma artist, struggling with a recent death, finds escape in a reckless affair with her brother’s girlfriend.

“Heartland (2016) was directed by Maura Anderson. It stars Velinda Godfrey as Lauren, a young lesbian woman whose partner has just died. Lauren moves back to her family home in Guthrie, Oklahoma, to live with her mother, Crystal. (Played amazingly well by Beth Grant.) Crystal has been a widow for 15 years. She spends her time scrapbooking and going to church. Sheu0026#39;s unfailingly cheerful. She loves her daughter, but wonu0026#39;t accept the fact that Lauren is a lesbian.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEnter Laurenu0026#39;s brother, Justin (Aaron Leddick), who knows how to pray when he has to pray, and how to earn money when thereu0026#39;s money to be earned. His fiancé, Carrie (Laura Spencer) is from the Napa Valley, and sheu0026#39;s out of place in Guthrie. When Justin has to leave on a business trip, it falls to Lauren to provide guidance for Carrie about the Guthrie culture. Thatu0026#39;s where the plot really begins.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI enjoyed this film, but it wasnu0026#39;t a movie I would recommend enthusiastically. It was interesting, but not ultimately satisfying. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, as the opening movie of ImageOut, the outstanding LGBTQ film festival. This was Heartlandu0026#39;s New York State Premiere.( Everyone assumes that any independent film that will open in NYS will open in New York City. Not always.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDirector Maura Anderson was present for Qu0026amp;A after the film. What she saw as the strength of her film was what made me slightly uncomfortable. Nothing really was resolved at the end. Thatu0026#39;s the film she wanted, and thatu0026#39;s the film she made. Iu0026#39;m impressed at the way she carried out her concept from the start to the finish, and I give her my compliments.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eP.S. For some reason IMDb wonu0026#39;t accept my vote for this movie. I would have given it an 8. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eP.P.S. Although Guthrie is only about 20 mile outside of Oklahoma City, it really is a rural part of the state. The National Finals Steer Roping Rodeo is held in Guthrie.”